Translating apparatus for electric signal pulse combinations



0. MOSER Sept. 30, 1952 TRANSLATING APPARATUS FOR ELECTRIC SIGNAL PULSE COMBINATIONS 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Filed Dec. '7, 1951 m a." a Q m EM INVENTOR OTTO MOSER BY c .m

w T T A Sept. 30, 1952 o. MOSER 2,612,556

, TRANSLATING APPARATUS FOR ELECTRIC SIGNAL PULSE COMBINATIONS Filed Dec. 7, 1951 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Zia-"270 INVENTORi OTTO Mose R Patented Sept. 30, 1952 UN TED STATES PATENTOFFICE' I I I 2,612,556 r I TRANSLATING APPARATUS FOR ELECTRIC SIGNAL PULSE COMBINATIONS .Otto Moser, Berne Switzerland Application December 7, 1951, Serial No. 260,522

In Switzerland December 9, 1950 -My'invention relates to signal-pulse lor codetranslating apparatus such as used; for instance, with teletypewriters, I printing telegr'aph receivers and the like electr'omagnetical devices; 'for translating the incoming pulse 'combinationsinto I corresponding selective control actions thateffec't a corresponding selective operation of 'type wheels, type levers, or other mechanisms. -More particularly, the invention relates to translating apparatus of the just-mentioned kind in which an electromagnet, responsive to the individual pulses,- has a number of separately movable armature members corresponding to -the numberofthe combination or code units. It;-is': an object of my invention to "improve such translating apparatus toward'better reliability and uniformity of operation than hereto- "foreiattainedr More specifically; the invention aims vathaving the control operations -foreach pulse combination or code character performed in'a mechanically constrainedfmanner and indedependently or the control operation for the other characters. It is also an object of m invention tozsecure a constrained andindividually controlled performancecwithout danger of bounc- Th'eseis'and other objects and adv'antagesqof the; invention, will be apparent from-the following. I

' xln accordance with myiinvention I- assign to each armature member a power-driven I control member for impartingza' constrained motion 'to thei'armature member, and I link thecontrol memberthrough thearmature with oneofa group of displaceable selector bars so thatcthe adjustment of the totality of selector bars determines the selection and actuation of the one type carrier or other mechanism that corree sponds to'the pulse combination received. These .and' otherieatures of. the invention will be apparent-from the following description in conjunction with the drawingssh'owing an example of translating apparatus according to the inveir- I tion suitable forteletypewriters operating'with a fiveeunit code. In thedrawings: Fig: '1 shows a schematical and perspective View of the essential mechanisms of theiapparatusj I I -Fig. '2 shows aschematical straight-line circuit diagram of the 'same apparatus inqcon'junction with structural features oi the apparatus which in this figureare diagrammatically. represented without regard to their jactuaL mechanical correlation; I I Fig. 3 shows a planview of one of the :control 10 Claims. (01. 178 33 other is "s'uchthat lug 19b "is' somewhat spaced,

from pin 2029. Consequently the" lug abuts "-ag'ainstfthe pin afteraapredetermined amount of rotation-of disc 19 and then entrains thedisc 2.0; I I

Carn' lfld'of disc I9 is engageable witha break contact kl. Disclfl'i'is' engageable' with aibreak discs of theapparatus serving controlof the armature movement;

for the constrained f- Figlf l shows a planview of a control disc of the same apparatus serving for the control of the typing operation; and v l. similarstart-stop drive motors of'the apparatus. v fTl e translating apparatus according to Fig. :1

'5 is a schematic diagram'of one of two has 'a"signal responsivreceiving magnet In with fivedouble-"armed armatures Iaf to He individuall'y 'rotatable'onan"armature shaft 12.: The armatures' are attracted by the magnet ID as long as-the' transmitting circuit of the remote transmitter/(not illustrated) is energized; Se.-

'cured to the armature shaft I2 is a 'three-armed .js'ta'rt' control lever I3 Whose arm [3a is also attracted by the'receiving magnet IU When the transmitter circuitiisjenergize'd. Asecond arm 13b of lever I3 acts-upon a two-pOsitionsnapaction switchld' for controlling the energization. o'f'a receiver' motor l5."The third-'armclfic of lever l 3carries a pin-I3! which-drops intoaa "gap 16a ofa grooved holding'cam disc" 16 when "the'receiving'magnetIU is not excited, i. e. when the arm "13a is dropp'ed ofi under the bias of its biasing spring (not illustrated); When arm 13adrops off, the 1 arm l-3b'actuates the switch M whereby'the' motor i5 is switched-in and starts operating (see Fig. 2).

Motor l5 drives a shaft l8 through a reducv 'jtiongear ll (Fig; l),='the*rotation being in the 'dire'ct-ion indicated by an'arrow. iThe shaftrl-B I carriesthe above-mentioned holdingdisclfirand r I also a stop control disc l9 withwa cam l-9a'.

"Loosely seated on shaft 18 isla braking. discsZll U with aperipheral notch 20a. Dis'clrll has 'alug 19b" (see -Fig.- 2), and the loosely seated- 'disczifl -hasa pin-20b .(see Fig. 2) In the restconditi'on v of' the fapparatus shown in 1iig."=l, the angular f v position {of the discs 3 l 9 and mirelative. to each contact '1)! (Figs. 1 and 2). Firmly mounted on shaft l8 are five controldiscs-" 2lato 2i,e:,j,,onefor each of-Ithe respective: five armature-members.

For clarity of; illustration; only orient-these? control discs, namely'disc 21a, .iszshown in Fig.3.;

The control discs. 2m to. 21c havegrooves 2 l lt o 215-.to cooperatemwith pin's :H lq to 1:15: (R s)- anda3) hither-respective armatures lfla. toi l l-le 'Respective springs 22] connected with the arma to'each other by one sixth of the periphery so.

- that the entrance opening 23a ofthefirst curve I disc 2Ia performs one sixth of a full revolution relative to pin III before the pin" can drop through this opening into thegrooveof control disc 2Ia. After another one sixth revolutionjoi shaft I8, the entrance opening of curve disc 2'I0 registers with pin II2 of the second armature arm I Ib, and so forth.

Shaft I8 also carries a cam disc 23 whose cam projection 23a is engageable with a switch 24. This 'switch is temporarily actuated by the cam 23a shortly before thecompl'etion'of a full revopivoted on a stationary shaft a. For clarity of illustration, only oneof these selector levers and only the one pertaining; group of type control meansare shown on thedrawingq I Eachselector lever 34-is correlated-to a print control disc 38 mounted on a drive shaft and serving'for controlling the movement of the type :lever. To this end, each selector lever 34 has a pin 34a engageable with the pertaining print control disc.' In the rest position of the control disc 38, all pins 34a touch the-respective control discs 38 at the point 38a indicatedin'Fig; 4 so that the selector levers 3.41 do not yet touch therespective selector bars 32a to 32c. However, whenrdurlng revolutions of the print control discs 38 the pins '34'a reach the position 3817, the pin 34a of the one selector lever 3'4-fitting intothe'then adjusted combination of the notches 33 will drop into the recess. 38b of the one pertaining print control disc. Only one selector lever 34 can drop into the notches "of the selector bars at a time. The re of'the selector bars so that. the pertaining pins ,3i4cpcannot come into engagement with the correspondingprintcontrol discs. During the fur- .ther revolution of shaft .740, the pin 34a; of the then dropped-in selector lever 34 is caught by a "nose 3860f th'eprint control disc and then guided by a cam edge 38d to the original position 38a. Thisconstrained movement of the pin 34a controls the typing operation by moving the type lever 1 "38 about its pivot pin sea." '1 I v s As is apparentfromthe shape of thecam edge 38d (Fig. 4) theselector levers 34 are lifted somewhat priortc the completion of a full revolution of-th'e shaft 49'," this lifting movement being suffii cient to make the-selector bars" 32a to 32e freely displaceable. 'The a-pplicable maximum number of typelevers corresponds to the number of possible pulse combinations of the particular pulse code 4 used. For the five-unit code therefore the maximum number of type levers is 32.

The drive shaft 40 is driven from a motor 25 through a reduction gear 26 in the direction of the arrow 40a. The control of motor 25 is effect ed by cam discs 4|, 42, 43 mounted on the drive shaft 40. Disc 4| is firmly secured to shaft 4D and has a notch or recess 4| a 'coacting with a make contact h. The braking disc 42 with a recess 42b is loosely seated on shaft 40 and is eng'ageable with a make contact 122. Disc 42 has a pin 42ato cooperate with a lug 43b of disc 43. Disc 43- is firmly joined with shaft 40 and has a cam 43a -'to cooperate with a break contact 702.

-In the rest position of the apparatus, lug 43b is spaced from pin 42a so that shaft 40 and disc 43 must pass through a given angle of revolution before the lug 43 abuts against pin 42a and entrains the loosely seated disc 42.

While the drive motors I5 and 25 may be of any suitable and known type, I prefer using directcurrent motors of thestepp-ing type with selfcontrolled interrupter contacts as schematically shown-in Fig. 5 with reference to motor I5. Such a motor has two stator coils or pairs of stator coils 15a; 15b whose fields have perpendicular respective axes and act upon a rotor I5e with salient poles. --The rotor shaft carries a cam I51 acting-upon two contacts -mI5I and m-ISII. The control circuit for this-motor as Well as that for the similar motor 25 is apparent from Fig. 2. The stator-windings I5a and I5!) are energized alternately and in pairs through the self-controlled contacts ml 51 and ml 5II. The field magnets 25a and 25bqare similarly excited by. the pertaining self-controlled contacts m25I and m25II. S uch motors are especially; suitable for the purpose of the invention because they can momentarily be stopped in a simple manner by magnetic action as will :be explained in a later place. The motor circuits are preferably equipped with spark reducing circuit elements I50, 250; The motor circuits are energized from currentsupply mains 49, for instance, froma volt direct-current line.

The operation of theapparatus is as follows:

Theapparatus, operating with a five-unit code, has itsitotal period of time for the reception of an individual pulse wcombination subdivided into six preferably equal intervals or steps, namely a starting step and five steps for the respective Junitskof the pulse combination to be responded to.

' When the transmitter i'ssues the starting step in fthe form of a pause, i; e. when the transmitting maining selector'leve'rs34 then rest upon the top pin I3I of lever arm I30 drops into groove I60.

of control cam l-fiso that lever arm I3b actuates switch 14. Motor I5 now starts revolving the control shaft I8 with the pertaining discs I6, I9, 21w to'2Ie and .23. Subsequent to this starting operation, the pulse combination is received from the transmitter. Assume, for instance, that this pulse. combination is composed of one pause and four current stepsi In this case, the receiving magnetic remains unexcited for another one sixth of the receiving period. Now the feeler pin III of the armature arm 22a follows the bias of the spring HI and drops into groove 2I I of curve di-scflZIa; Due to the particularshape ofthe curve groove; 21a, the armature member 22a is" forced agains't'theslid'e bar 2911. and displaces it in the directionof the arrowilx The bar 29a has two slanted edges riding on resp ctive stationary pins so 'that'the just :mentioned displacement causes the completion of having the lever arm result, the annular lever am is rotated counterclockwise about the shaft 31 so that lever'arm 3| I displaces the selector bar 32a a given amount in the direction of the arrow 32. The four next following pulses of the pulse combination, as assumed, are current pulses (positive pulses) which cause the receiving magnet ID to be excited and to exert attracting forceupon the armatures I la. to l le. The armature I la cannot be moved by this force because it is then being subjected to the predetermined movement enforced by the-curve-disc 2l'a. Consequently, the slide bars 29b to 29c are not influenced by the armature arms 22b to 22c and the selector bars 32b to 32c remain in their positions of rest. 7 v

The type lever 36 is now actuated as follows. Shortly before completion of one full revolution of shaft l8 and, hence, after completion of the adjustment of the selector bars 32a to 32c, the drive motor 25 is energized as explained in the foregoing so that the drive shaft 40 rotates in the direction of the arrow 40a. At the start of the shaft revolution, the pins 34a of each selector lever 34 abuts against the corresponding print control cam 38 at the point 38a. After a given amount of revolution of cam shaft 40, each pin 34a is in registry with the recess 38b, of the cam disc 38. However, the recess 38b can only be entered by the one pin whose selector lever 34 registers with all selector bar notches 33 that are then in alignment with one another. Consequently, only the one type carrying lever 36 is actuated whose type character corresponds to the received pulse combination.

The cam discs I6, 19 and 20 on control shaft 18 and the cam discs 4|, 42 and 43 on drive shaft 40 serve the purpose of always securing a single full revolution of 'each shaft and to immediately arrest each shaft when'this revolution is completed. This control operation occurs in the following manner with respect to the drive motor of control shaft l8.

Immediately after control shaft l8 starts revolving, the contact kl is opened. This contact then remains open until cam 19a of disc [9, at a full revolution, permits the contact to close. As apparent from Fig. 2 the self-controlled contacts ml5I and 1111511 of motor I5 are shorted during the closing periods of contact kl. Then the two pairs of electromagnets l5a, l5b are excited simultaneously with'the result of momentarily arresting the motor [5 in locked-rotor condition.

|3b keep the switch [4 actuated during a full revolution of the control shaft l8. The cam disc '20 serves a double purpose. After starting its revolution this disc closes the contact '0! and thus secures energization of the drive independently of the switch l4. After one full revolution of shaft l8, the cam disc 28 has the further effect of providing an always sufficient braking interval for the drive [5 by maintaining the energization of drive l5 through contact 12! a short additional period of time in which the disc 20, due to its own momentum, can return to the original starting position. This momentum is due to the fact that the shaft I8 is suddenly braked to standstill so that the disc 20, being loosely seated on shaft 18, tends to continue revolving. Only after return of disc into the starting position is the contact ol opened so that then the entire arrangement is again in the starting condition.

The disc l6 takes care of The start-stop control for the drive 25 of shaft 40 is similarly effected by the disc 4|, 42 and 43.

Disc 4| closes thecontact h'which, after switch 24 has started the drive 25, maintainsthis drive in the energized condition. Thecontact k2, originally kept closed by cam 43a, is opened immediately after the shaft 40 starts revolving. Asa result, the shorting circuit across. the self-controlled'co'ntacts m251 and m25II is interrupted even when-the switch 24 is again opened. However, contact 702 is reclosed upon completion of a full revolution of shaft 40 then causing the drive 25 to be braked. The disc 42 serves to'extend the braking period in order to secure a definite stopping of the drive.

After the reception of a complete pulse combination, the apparatus receives a reset signal from the transmitter 'in the form of a. current pulse so that the translating apparatus returns to its starting condition. This is followedby a starting step in form of a pause (current interruption') which initiates translation of the pulse combination next to be received.

The described apparatus has the advantage that alleontrol operations are performed by constrained mechanisms operating independently of one another for each characterto be transmitted.' Besides,.the provision of control discs with curved cam grooves instead of cam projections improves the guidance and control-of the various control elements because it reduces bouncing as well as wearing stresses. Due to the provision of two separate drives for the translating portion of the receiving apparatus and for the. pertaining printing devices greatly increases theuniformity of operation, and also simplifies the spacial arrangement with the result of considerably facilitating the assembly and disaspulse combinations, particularly for teletype-- writers, printing telegraphs and other electromechanical receiving devices, comprising mechanisms to be selectively actuated in accordance with respectively different pulse combinations received, a pulse-responsive electromagnet having. a number of armature members corresponding to the number of elements of the pulse combinations, said armature. members being individually movable by said magnet and having respective feeler means, a revolvable control shaft having a number of control discs for controlling the movements of-said respective members, said discs having respective ,cam grooves with per-- taining entrance openings peripherally displaced relative to each other, drive means'connected with said shaft for revolving it during reception of a pulse combination so that said feeler means of selected armature members enter through the entrance opening into the groove of the respective correlated control discs depending upon the state of excitation of said magnet at the moment when each feeler means registers with the correlated entrance opening, said groove L7 -zof each disc :bein'g 'engageable with .said .feeler means. of-the correlated "armature member toiiim- :part :a reciprocating stroke :to said :member; a estackbf individually displaceable selector bars each-being linked with :one :of said irespective armature members to :be'displaced :by said stroke, -movable .control "structures linked with said :re- "spective mechanisms and engageableiwith allzsaid selector ibars of .said stack "to selectively :move into operative position depending upon :the dis- .Dlacem'ent :combination :of said bars, a lrevolvable d-rive :shaftmperative upon receipt of a signal pulse combination and having :curve discs ensgageable with said control structures only when said individual structures are .in.:said operative portion for then displacing said structures to actua-te one'of said mechanisms-at a time.

-2. Apparatus :for translating electric, Signal epulse combinations, particularly *f or -te'l'etypewrit ers, printing telegraphs and 'the like, comprising movable :printing-type carriers to be selectively ractuated in accordance with respectively :diiferent pulse combinations received, a'pulse-responsive electromagnet .having arnumber of :armature members corresponding to the number'of elements of the pulse combinations, said members being individually movable by said magnet and having respective ffeeler means, .a:revolvable control shaft having anumber :of control discs :for controlling the movement :of said members, :said control discs zhaving respective curve-d :grooves with pertaining entrance openings peripherally displaced relative to each other, drive means connected with :said control: shaft for revolving it during reception of :a pulse'combination so that said 'iteeler :means of selected armature members enter through the entrance openings'into the groove of the respective correlated control discs depending upon the state of excitation of said magnet' when eachfeeler means registers with the correlated entrance opening, said groove of each disc being engageable with said 'feeler means of the correlated armature member to impart a reciprocating working stroke to said member, a stack of individually'displaceable selector bars each being linked with one of said respective armature members to be displacedbys'a'id stroke, movable control structures linked with said respective type carriers and engageable with all said selector bars of said stack to selectively move into operative position depending-upon the displacement combination of said bars, a revolvable drive shaft operative upon receipt of a signal 'pulse'combination and having curve discs ongageable with said control Structures only when said structures are individually in said operative position for then displacing-one of said structures to actuate the pertaining one of said type carriers.

'3; In apparatus according to claim Leach of said armature members comprising .a springbiased double-armed 'lever having one arm .adjacent to said magnet to be moved thereby, said feeler means being disposd on tltu'a other arm of said member, and mechanism means connecting said other arm with one of :saidre'spective selectorbars.

"and having an electric motor, and a switch for controlling said motor, said motor being connected with said control shaft, -a switch :control cam secured to said control shaft, and means linking said-cam with said switch for causing said switch to energize said motor during one full revolution of said control shaft for each :release of said drive.

v6. Apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a start-stop drive releasable by said magnet, and having an electric motor and a switch for controlling said motor, said motor being connected ing a drive'motor connected with said .drive shaft with said control shaft, a switch control oam secured to said control shaft, a lever engageable with said switchv for actuating said switch and having an armature portion actuable by said magnet for causing said switch to :start energizing said motor, said lever having 'a .portionengageablewith said switch {control scam during ,a

substantially full cam revolution. toukeep said switch energized during one fullrevolut-ion.

, 7. Apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a start-stop drive releasable by is'aid'gmagnet and having an electric motor and a switch for-controlling said motor, said motor being connected with said control shaft, a switch control cam secured to said control shaft, a lever :erigageable with said switch for actuating said switch and having an armature portion actuableby said magnet .forcausing said switch to start energizing saidmotor, said switch control cam having a cam groove and 'said lever having .a cam pin engageable with :said groove when said lever is actuated by .said magnet, whereby said lever is held by said cam to maintain said .switchaclosed for one full revolution of saidcontrol shaft.-

8. Apparatus according to claim -1, comprising start-stop drive means releasable by said magnet and connected with said control shaft, and limit :stop means controlled by said control shaft and connected with :said :drive for stopping it .at the end 'of one full revolution of said control shaft. --9. Apparatus according to claim 2,,comprisfor operating said type carriers, and motor control means connected with said drive motor and operatively connected with :said control shaft forenergizing said drive motor shortly before icompletionof the revolution of said control shaft.

10. Apparatus 'accordingto claim -2, comprising a drive motor connected with said drive shaft for operating said type carriers, :2. control circuit connected with said drive motor and having-a controlswitch, a cam mounted on-said control shaft and engageable with said controlswitch for causing it to energize said drive motor near the end of the revolution of said control shaft.

I OTTO MOSER.

No references cited. 

